General
Hairdresser, Phone Seller, Emerge Millionaires at Mega Games Promo
By Dipo Olowookere
The lives of six lucky Nigerians and an Arabian turned around for good recently at the Mega Games Promo organised by a technology company, Technotrend Platform Nigeria Limited, under the platform of Airtel Nigeria Network.
During a presentation ceremony held at the Lagos Resource Center in Victoria Island, Lagos, the seven lucky persons became N1 million richer. They were Rosemark, Mike Chikodo Okoro, Emmanuel Egbo, Ikade Michael Dan, Okoli Stella Yemisi, Adebayo Oyeyipo and the Arabian named Rafaqat Ali.
One of the beneficiaries of the N1 million cash, Rosemark, a hairdresser, said she was surprised and initially didn’t believe she could win when she was called and received text. She thanked organisers of the Mega Games Promo for matching their words with Action.
For Mike Chikodo Okoro, a retail phone seller, a friend urged him to play the game, which he reluctantly did, not expecting to become a millionaire in 2018.
“I am so happy today as Mega Games Promo has made my day. I was planning to travel to the east but I received a call and had to postpone the trip. This money means so much as I hope to use it to settle some medical bills because I had an accident last year and has been treating my leg. The fund will be used to boost my business. Just keep on playing the game, forget about the N1 million. Just keep on playing it,” he said.
Another winner, Stella Yemisi Okoli, who came from Akure, Ondo State, was full of smiles, saying “I lost hope I thought it was not for real. Mega Games Promo has made my day as this fund came handy during the yuletide season. I am overwhelmed.”
Managing Director of Technotrend Platform Nigeria Limited, Mr Doyin Adeshina, said Mega Games Promo, which started barely three months ago, has rewarded players with a total of N22 million, the top prize being a million naira.
He added that the trivia game draws are done daily after five questions are answered via the Airtel SMS platform attracting just N20 per day which must accrue to 6,000 points qualifying the player for a daily draw. A million naira cash prize and ten smartphones are won every week.
During the event, some people won smartphones, which were presented to them in the presence of officials of Nigeria Lottery Regulatory Communication (NLRC), Mr Jude Ughwujabo and Consumer Protection Council (CPC), Madam Suzie Onwuka.
Mr Ughwujabo commended Technotrend Platform Nigeria Limited for the milestones, noting that the commission regulates promotions both from the end of regulators and even those of you that participated and won.
He added, “We make sure you get your prizes. We commend Technotrend and we hope they will come with new ideas next time for the Promotions.”
Suzzie Onwuka of Consumer Protection Council urged the participants to have faith in the process, as they can see the delivery of the organizers on their promise.
“The council is out to protect the people. If there is anyone unsatisfied with the promo, reach out to us at CPC and we take it from there,” she said.
Technotrend Platforms Nigeria Limited (TPNL), a technology company that offers wholesales wireless (Mobile) access services to telecom subscribers through the mobile networks recently presented cash prizes of N1 million and smartphones each to lucky subscribers, who participated and won its on-going Mega Games Promo, which is principally designed to better the lives of Nigerians. The offer is available to Airtel subscribers only. In the past few months, the firm has handsomely rewarded its customers with cash prizes worth over N12 million; ranging from N1m daily prizes and smartphones via the mega game’s promo, which is anchored on a point-based system where customers accumulate points to increase their chances of winning by performing any network-based mobile activity.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to vacate the court ordering the freezing of the bank account of the Osun Srate government.
In a statement today by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, the President said he’s “deeply embarrassed not by the EFCC’s exercise of its mandate backed by a court order” because of its timing, which is just a few days to the governorship election in the state next Saturday.
According to him, actions of an institution of State, especially at the Federal level, is always credited to me, as the President, even when I may not have had any prior knowledge of the action.
“Since assuming office, I have consistently maintained that anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies must be allowed to discharge their statutory responsibilities independently, professionally, without fear or favour, or political interference. I have therefore deliberately refrained from directing or interfering in the operational activities of the EFCC or any other investigative or prosecutorial agency because I firmly believe that strong democratic institutions, operating within the confines of the law, are indispensable to democratic good governance and the rule of law.
“As President, I am committed to allowing institutions of State to function and take any action they consider necessary in the interest of proper governance without the need for any prior approval. Indeed, that is why institutions are set up by law with clearly defined powers. While I am yet to be fully apprised of the facts which informed the action of EFCC in approaching the court to obtain the said order freezing the Osun State Government account, I am not in the slightest doubt that the timing of the action of EFCC is inauspicious, and therefore I feel compelled to intervene.
“Osun State is only a few days away from its gubernatorial election. Therefore, nothing ought to be done to give an impression that the EFCC or indeed any other agency of the federal government is being used to interfere with the election.
“Based on the foregoing premise, I am duty-bound to issue a directive on this issue in consonance with the overriding public interest in preserving public confidence and the integrity, credibility, and fairness of our democratic process.
“Accordingly, I have directed the EFCC to immediately proceed to the court to vacate the order and discontinue whatever action it has instituted against the Osun State Government in this regard,” the statement stated.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has explained why it initiated a move to freeze the bank account of the Osun State government.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Governor of Osun State, Mr Ademola Adeleke, claimed that the anti-money laundering agency asked one of its bankers, First Bank, not to release funds to the state government.
According to the Governor, this was part of the strategies to frustrate his administration ahead of the August 15, 2026, governorship election in the state.
Reacting to the issue on Wednesday night, the EFCC, in a statement, said it has been investigating the state government since March 2026 over an alleged “fraudulent handling of Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds and Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) account to the tune of N11.0 billion.
The organisation noted that some officials of the state government, especially the Accountant General of the State, have had interview sessions with investigators of the EFCC.
“These ongoing investigations of the state government would not have warranted any placement of Post No Debit order on its account but for the precipitate and unwarranted movement of funds from the accounts to different suspicious accounts since August 2, 2026.
“The commission noticed huge transfers of funds into different corporate entities and had to swiftly halt the trend by freezing the accounts from which such heavy funds are being moved,” parts of the statement said.
In the disclosure, the agency noted that its preventive mandate is a public-inclined framework of safeguarding public funds, assets and resources, stressing that it cannot “watch idly while a state government’s account is being pillaged.”
“While the commission is fully aware of the impending governorship election in Osun State, it has a responsibility to act in defence of the sanctity of the funds of the state. It will be uncharitable for the commission to allow an excuse of an upcoming election to fold its arms to perform its legally-assigned functions,” it pointed out.
The EFCC disclosed that it is “keeping watch over the finances of other states like Osun State. Many of these states are on the investigative radar of the commission to ensure accountability and probity. The commission has always pointed out that it is non-partisan and non-sectarian but always working in the overall interests of Nigerians. The Osun State government account was frozen to save public funds from being looted.”
The organisation urged the public “to ignore false narratives and deliberate demonisation of the works of the EFCC. The interests of all Nigerians are greater and will always be protected by the commission.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has launched a mobile application designed to monitor fuel consumption patterns in real time across retail outlets nationwide.
The NMDPRA, established under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, is responsible for the technical and commercial regulation of Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum operations. The deployment of the mobile application aligns with the authority’s broader efforts to leverage technology to improve regulatory compliance and strengthen accountability.
The pilot phase of the project began on August 1 in Abuja and its six Area Councils, the authority said in a statement published on X.
As part of the rollout, the Executive Director for Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure (DSSRI), Mr Ogbugo Ukoha, led a team alongside officials from the Abuja Regional Office to assess the readiness and operational performance of the digital platform at participating retail outlets.
According to the NMDPRA, the application captures inventory and compliance data in real time, enabling regulators to monitor fuel distribution more effectively while improving operational efficiency across the sector.
The authority said the platform would generate reliable, data-driven insights to support evidence-based decision-making, strengthen national energy security planning and enhance transparency in the downstream petroleum industry.
It added that the initiative is expected to provide significant value to government, investors, operators and other stakeholders by improving access to accurate fuel consumption and compliance data.
Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector has undergone significant changes since the deregulation of the petrol market and the removal of fuel subsidies, with regulators placing greater emphasis on data-driven supervision to ensure product availability, prevent supply disruptions and discourage sharp regional disparities in distribution.
